Collapsible tube



W. C. HUNTOON COLLAPSIBLE TUBE ummn a.

Filed July 19,

July 29 1924..

- automatic movement P atented July 29, 1924.

m'ran STATES WILLIAM C. HUNTOON, OF EAST GREENWICH, RHODE ISLAND.

OOLLAPSIBLE TUBE.

Application filed July 19, 1923. Serial. No. 652,549.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. Hun- TOON, a citizen of the United States, reslding at East Greenwich, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, have mvented new and useful Improvements in collapsible Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in collapsible tubes and the primary object thereof is to provide a cap which is threadedly engaged with the neck of the tube and spring means which is supported in a novel manner and which likewise supports the caps and which functions to not only hold the cap captive with relation to the tube, but which also eifects thereof and retention at a distance from the tube, upon unthreading of the cap from the neck of the tube.

A still further object of the invention, is to provide spring means for accomplishing the foregoing objects which is formed of a single length or piece of spring wire and wherein the coils are supported at each end from the tube and the cap in turn is supported from each end of the coils.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Figure 2 is a section on line ure 1,

. Figure 3 is a rear side elevation.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, a tube 1 of the usual collapsible type is employed, the neck 2 of which is threaded and formed with a circular collar 3 located above the tapered end fl: of the tube and spaced therefrom to form a circular groove 5. The cap 6 is of the usual type and is provided with a circular groove 7 located between the top and bottom of the cap.

The invention particularly resides in means to render the cap captive and to also effect automatic movement to and retention of the cap at a distance from the tube neck upon unthreading of the cap and accordingly a piece or length of spring wire is employed and which is formed with a series of coils or convolutions 8 between its ends.

One end of the wire at one end of the coils 8 is then bent outwardly to form an arm 9 and is, further bent into a loop 10 which engages in the groove 5 of the neck and is then bent outwardly to form an arm 11 which extends toward the coils 8.

2-2 of Fig- The arm 11 has its free extremity turned inwardly at 16 and received in the coils 8. The mm at the opposite end of the coils is bent outwardly in a direction opposite to that in which the arms 9 and 11 extend in open position of the parts to form an arm 12, and is then looped 'at 13 and bent to form an arm 14 somewhat similar to arm 12, the free extremity of the arm 14 being extended inwardly at 20 and received in the end of the coils 8 opposite to the end in which the inturned extremity 16 of the arm 11 projects.

The loop 13 is groove 7 of the cap so as rotation of the latter.

The coils it will be noted are located between the pairs of arms 9 and 11 and 12 and 14:, and the arms of the pairs extend in substantial parallelism in open position of the parts so. that the coil is not only connected at each end by the several four arms, but in addition, the coils of the spring wire are supported at each end from the tube neck by the arms 9 and 11 and the cap is likewise supported by the arms 12 and 14.

The loop 10 is preferably immovably fixed to the neck of the tube, which is accomplished by forcing or pressing the collar 3 into tight engagement with the loop, which operation is easily performed due to the fact that the tube and neck are formed of soft metal which can be easily pressed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination with the threaded neck of a collapsible tube having a peripheral groove, a cap threaded over the neck and having a circular peripheral groove, a single piece of spring wire having a series of coils between its ends, one end of the wire being extended outwardly tangentially to and at the lower arc of the coils and formed into a loop which is engaged in the groove of the neck, said end of the wire being then extended toward the coils and having its free extremity turned at an angle and projecting into one end of the coils, the opposite end of the wire being extended outwardly to form an arm tangential to and at the upper arc of the coils and formed into a loop which is loosely received in the groove of the cap and being then extended toward the coils to form a second arm which crosses the to permit of free loosely received in the I first arm and which has its free extremity turned at an angle and projecting into the opposite end of the coils.

2. In combination with the threaded neck of a collapsible tube having a peripheral groove, a cap threaded over the neck and having a circular peripheral groove, a single piece of spring wire having a series of coils between its ends, one end of the wire being extended outwardly tangentially to the coils and formed into a loop which is engaged in the groove of the neck, said end of the wire being then extended toward the coil and having its free extremity turned at an angle and projecting into one end of the coils, the

opposite end of the wire being extended out- Wardly to form an arm tangential to the coils and formed into a loop which is loosely received in the groove of the cap and being then extended toward the coils and having ts free extremity turned inwardly and proecting into the opposite end of the coils.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. HUNTOON.

Witnesses:

S. N. BARRY, J. A. MILLER. 

